Ecclesiastes 4

• Let's review Ecclesiastes so far.

  • This book is Wisdom literature. The author is Solomon, a man who was given by God wisdom and discernment greater than any man.

  • The book of Ecclesiastes establishes Solomon’s theory of the meaning of life.

    • The thesis is the meaning of life can’t be found in the creation, therefore it is vanity to try and seek for it there.

    • Solomon began providing proof through the repeating cycles in nature that display a meaninglessness in understanding an advantage in life.

  • Solomon continued to establish this by his personal experiences concluding that wisdom and wealth, and seeking an earthly legacy are meaningless in understanding an advantage in life.

    • There is a God-appointed time for every event under heaven. Our desire should be to do what God wants done in our lives.

Eccl. 4:1 Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.
Eccl. 4:2 So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living.
Eccl. 4:3 But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.

• v.1 How does Solomon move ahead in the conversation of righteousness verses wickedness? (Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun.)

  • In Chapter 3, verse 16 we read, “Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.”

  • Now in 4:1 Solomon looks more closely at this wickedness and specifically mentions the wickedness that is defined as ‘acts of oppression’.

• How does Solomon continue? (And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them)

  • Solomon looks at the human toll of oppression and says he sees the tears of these victims. He also says they had no one to comfort them.

  • What do the oppressors have? (and on the side of their oppressors was power)

    • The flip side to this is that the oppressed have no power.

  • Solomon repeats what? (but they had no one to comfort them.)

• v.2 The realization of this truth causes Solomon to say what? (So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living.)

  • What does ‘congratulated’ means here? (synonyms include applaud or salute)

  • Who had Solomon just been talking about? (The oppressed)

  • Those oppressed are better off dead than living through more oppression.

• v.3 The severity of this oppression is so great; what does Solomon conclude? (But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.)

  • There is the worse case, which is those still living in oppression; the next best state to be in is to have died and no longer be suffering the oppression; and the most desired state is to never have suffered the oppression at all. Solomon is using extremes to make his point.

Eccl. 4:4 I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind.
Eccl. 4:5 The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.
Eccl. 4:6 One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.

• v.4 What does Solomon say next? (I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor.)

  • What does it mean when someone says “I have seen”? (They are a witness)

  • What two things does Solomon identify? (every labor and every skill which is done)

• What is the motivation for every labor and every skill? (is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor)

  • What is a rivalry? (competition)

  • This same word is more often translated as jealousy.

    • A neighbor would be any person in proximity to know, or to see what they have, or what they do. This could be personally or collectively like tribes or nations.

  • The context of this comment is still what? (wickedness)

  • The wicked man’s labor and skill are motivated by rivalry or jealousy.

    • What is the conclusion? (This too is vanity and striving after wind.)

• v.5 Who is identified first? (The fool)

  • What does does the fool do? (folds his hands)

  • What work can you do when your hands are folded? (None)

  • When you don’t bring in or produce anything new what is left to consume? (Whatever you already have, until all you have is used up)

• Similar language is used in Proverbs 24:30-34

Prov. 24:30 I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,
Prov. 24:31 And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;
Its surface was covered with nettles,
And its stone wall was broken down.
Prov. 24:32 When I saw, I reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.
Prov. 24:33 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
Prov. 24:34 Then your poverty will come as a robber
And your want like an armed man.

• Eccl. 4:6 What two things are compared here? (One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.)

  • The ‘handful of rest’ refers to v 5 of the ‘folding of the hands’ and can be seen repeated in Prov. 24:33.

    • ‘Handful of rest’ is not being elevated as a good thing it is being compared to something worse which is the two fists full of labor motivated by rivalry or jealousy with ones neighbor.

  • Wicked man will be motivated to compete with those around him or to shut down so as to purposely not be of use to those around him even to his own detriment. Neither is truly desirable but Solomon is using extremes to make his point again just like in verse 3.

Eccl. 4:7 Then I looked again at vanity under the sun.
Eccl. 4:8 There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.
Eccl. 4:9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.
Eccl. 4:10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
Eccl. 4:11 Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?
Eccl. 4:12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

• v.7 What does Solomon say he does next? (Then I looked again at vanity under the sun.)

  • Solomon says he ‘looked again’. He investigates more of what? (at vanity under the sun.)

• v.8 How does Solomon begin this discovery? (There was a certain man)

  • We do not know who this man was.

  • What is true for this man? (without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor.)

    • This man has no relative that he is working to help while he is alive or after he is gone.

  • What does this man do? (yet there was no end to all his labor.)

  • This man works without a family motivation, and never ceases to labor.

  • What is the result? (Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches)

  • What else was true? (and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?”)

    • He did not ask himself who was he laboring for. He was only working for his own accomplishment.

    • The labor resulted in what? (depriving myself of pleasure?”)

  • The work was not even to satisfy his own pleasure, it was only for the sake of selfish greed devoid of pleasure.

    • What is the result? (This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.)

    • For this man life is not only meaningless but a burden.

• v.9 What is preferable? (Two are better than one)

  • Why? (because they have a good return for their labor.)

    • It would appear this is because they are laboring together.

    • We are not told what that return is, it is not measured in riches.

• v.10 How is this demonstrated? (For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion.)

  • What is true for the man who labors alone? (But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.)

• v.11 What simple example is used to further illustrate this truth? (Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?)

• v.12 Solomon continues to use his good, better, best analogy how? (And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.)

  • When a threat comes, the one who is alone is overpowered versus when there are two they can resist the threat. They are not overpowered but can at least resist the threat together.

  • What is even better than two? (A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.)

    • Men are created to need others and not to be alone.

Gen. 2:18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

• Man had God in the garden of Eden but God created man not to be good alone, meaning without another person. God created another person for man to be with. God wants man to need another. Wickedness causes men to strive to be alone, to be against other men, and against God.

Eccl. 4:13 A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction.
Eccl. 4:14 For he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom.
Eccl. 4:15 I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who replaces him.
Eccl. 4:16 There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind.

• v.13 Solomon begins with his next example of vanity how? (A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction.)

  • The first person is described how? (A poor yet wise lad)

    • This person is compared to who? (an old and foolish king)

  • Why is the old king described as foolish? (who no longer knows how to receive instruction)

    • This implies the king at one time would do what? (receive instruction)

  • What can we assume the ‘poor yet wise lad’ was wiling to do? (receive instruction)

    • Who does the instruction come from? (Not specified, could be counselors, could be priests or prophets or God)

    • This is why the poor yet wise lad was better at making decisions.

• The question becomes, “Is this a general observation of kings and successors, or is it a specific king and successor?” When we get to verse 15 we see Solomon says, “I have seen,” this would indicate this is a specific king and successor, and Solomon is a witness to the event in verse 15.

  • The three kings and successors of the throne to Israel would be where we would look to see if the verses here line up to those individuals as displayed through scriptures.

    • Is this a description of Saul to David, David to Solomon, or Solomon to his successor?

    • I believe this is a description of David to Solomon. As we go through each verse, we will look to other scripture to see the truths revealed there that Solomon advances in these verses of Ecclesiastes.

• v.13 Started with ‘A poor yet wise lad’. We know from our study earlier regarding Solomon he was indeed a wise lad. He was wise in that he asked God for an understanding heart to judge. He says he was but a little child before God, the definition of a lad.

1Kings 3:5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.”
1Kings 3:6 Then Solomon said, “You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
1Kings 3:7 “Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
1Kings 3:8 “Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted.
1Kings 3:9 “So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

• Solomon declares himself to be ‘but a little child’.

  • Estimates of Solomon’s age range from about 13 to 20 years of age when he becomes king. Solomon did father a son the year before he became king.

1 Kings 14:31 Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king,

1Kings 11:42 Thus the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.

• Solomon was just another son of David. It is not like he was raised in some palace to be trained and treated as the next king. He was not wealthy.

• Eccl. 4:13 The next person is described how? (‘an old and foolish king’)

2Sam. 5:4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.

• David became an old king dying at 74 years of age.

  • What else is said to be true of this king? (who no longer knows how to receive instruction.)

  • When David was younger he did know how to receive instruction. David turned to priests, prophets and to God for counsel.

1Sam. 21:1 Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest;

1Sam. 22:9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing by the servants of Saul, said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
1Sam. 22:10 “He inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

• David listened to the prophets of God.

1Sam. 22:5 The prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

• David listened to the LORD.

1Sam. 23:2 So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and deliver Keilah.”

• Did David become one who did not seek or receive instructions in his decision making?

2Sam. 24:1 Now again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”
2Sam. 24:2 The king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, “Go about now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and register the people, that I may know the number of the people.”
2Sam. 24:3 But Joab said to the king, “Now may the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?”
2Sam. 24:4 Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to register the people of Israel.
2Sam. 24:5 They crossed the Jordan and camped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad and toward Jazer.
2Sam. 24:6 Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and they came to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon,
2Sam. 24:7 and came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites, and they went out to the south of Judah, to Beersheba.
2Sam. 24:8 So when they had gone about through the whole land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
2Sam. 24:9 And Joab gave the number of the registration of the people to the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
2Sam. 24:10 Now David’s heart troubled him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”
2Sam. 24:11 When David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,
2Sam. 24:12 “Go and speak to David, ‘Thus the LORD says, “I am offering you three things; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.”’”
2Sam. 24:13 So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider and see what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.”
2Sam. 24:14 Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
2Sam. 24:15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.

• Second example of David as an old king.

  • These verses will also reveal what Solomon declared in the rest of Eccl. 4 to be true.

1Kings 1:1 Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm.

1Kings 1:5 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him.
1Kings 1:6 His father had never crossed him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man, and he was born after Absalom.
1Kings 1:7 He had conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and following Adonijah they helped him.
1Kings 1:8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
1Kings 1:9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants.
1Kings 1:10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and Solomon his brother.
1Kings 1:11 Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it?
1Kings 1:12 “So now come, please let me give you counsel and save your life and the life of your son Solomon.
1Kings 1:13 “Go at once to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’
1Kings 1:14 “Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”
1Kings 1:15 So Bathsheba went in to the king in the bedroom. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king.
1Kings 1:16 Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself before the king. And the king said, “What do you wish?”
1Kings 1:17 She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God, saying, ‘Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne.’
1Kings 1:18 “Now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know it.
1Kings 1:19 “He has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant.
1Kings 1:20 “As for you now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
1Kings 1:21 “Otherwise it will come about, as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered offenders.”
1Kings 1:22 Behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.
1Kings 1:23 They told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground.
1Kings 1:24 Then Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne’?
1Kings 1:25 “For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’
1Kings 1:26 “But me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and your servant Solomon, he has not invited.
1Kings 1:27 “Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not shown to your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
1Kings 1:28 Then King David said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.
1Kings 1:29 The king vowed and said, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress,
1Kings 1:30 surely as I vowed to you by the LORD the God of Israel, saying, ‘Your son Solomon shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place’; I will indeed do so this day.”
1Kings 1:31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, and prostrated herself before the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever.”
1Kings 1:32 Then King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came into the king’s presence.
1Kings 1:33 The king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon.
1Kings 1:34 “Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel, and blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’
1Kings 1:35 “Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne and be king in my place; for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”
1Kings 1:36 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! Thus may the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say.
1Kings 1:37 “As the LORD has been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!”
1Kings 1:38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.
1Kings 1:39 Zadok the priest then took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!”
1Kings 1:40 All the people went up after him, and the people were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth shook at their noise.
1Kings 1:41 Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why is the city making such an uproar?”
1Kings 1:42 While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. Then Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a valiant man and bring good news.”
1Kings 1:43 But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king.
1Kings 1:44 “The king has also sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule.
1Kings 1:45 “Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise which you have heard.
1Kings 1:46 “Besides, Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom.
1Kings 1:47 “Moreover, the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!’ And the king bowed himself on the bed.
1Kings 1:48 “The king has also said thus, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.’”

• David also acknowledges Solomon is wise.

1Kings 2:9 “Now therefore, do not let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to Sheol with blood.”

• Eccl. 4:14 How else does Solomon describe this ‘old and foolish king’? (For he has come out of prison to become king,)

• David moved from one stronghold to another and from one city to another to escape from Saul. He was in prison to protect himself from Saul. He was not in a royal palace waiting to succeed king Saul.

  • What else is revealed about this 'old and foolish king’ ? (even though he was born poor in his kingdom.)

  • David was the youngest son of Jesse and tended the flocks. This was not a royal family or a wealthy family.

1Sam. 17:12 Now David was the son of the Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons. And Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men
1Sam. 17:14 David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul,
1Sam. 17:15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem.

• Eccl. 4:15 What does Solomon say he has witnessed? (I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who replaces him.) Remember 1Kings 1:39-40.

1Kings 1:39 Zadok the priest then took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!”
1Kings 1:40 All the people went up after him, and the people were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth shook at their noise.

• 1Kings says ‘all the people' and Ecclesiastes says ‘all the living under the sun' throng to the side of who? (the second lad who replaces him)

  • What ‘him’ is being replaced? (King David)

  • Who is the ‘second lad’ referring to? (Solomon)

• Who had declared himself to be king in place of David first? (Adonijah)

1Kings 1:5 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him.

• The second lad to be announced as king is Solomon.

• Eccl. 4:16 How does Solomon finish? (There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them,)

  • Who are the ‘them’? (The two kings)

  • How is it true “all who were before them”?

1Kings 1:45 “Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise which you have heard.
1Kings 1:46 “Besides, Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom.
1Kings 1:47 “Moreover, the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!’ And the king bowed himself on the bed.
1Kings 1:48 “The king has also said thus, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.’”

• Eccl 4:16 What does Solomon describe next? (and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind.)

  • 1Kings 2:13-25 Solomon dealing with Adonijah the son of Haggith, tried to undermine Solomon as king. He tried to take one of David’s concubines to try and find a way to seat himself as king of Israel. Pure deception.

  • 1Kings 2:26-27 Abiathar the priest, had supported Adonijah and declaring himself to be king.

  • 1Kings 2:28-34 Joab had also followed Adonijah, plus others wrongs he committed against David

  • 1Kings 2:36-46 Shimei stood against David as king.

    • These are the ‘ones who will come later and will not be happy with him’ (Solomon).

• Solomon was also alone in this way. He did not have confidants from his father king David to help him in his early reign.

  • All of this intrigue as Solomon secured the throne he now see as ‘vanity and striving after the wind’. It is meaningless in determining the advantage to life here under the sun.